Top Drive System and Method

ABSTRACT

A top drive system is provided comprising a top drive, a torque tube, and a traveling block, wherein the torque tube is connected to the travelling block on one side and to the top drive on the other side. A method to install the top drive system is also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/487,704 titled “TOP DRIVE SYSTEM AND METHOD,” filed Apr. 20, 2017, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a top drive system and method utilizing a top drive, a torque tube, and a traveling block, wherein the torque tube is connected to the travelling block on one side and to the top drive on the other side.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

In order to meet consumer and industrial demand for natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in finding and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired subterranean resource such as oil or natural gas is discovered, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource.

Whether onshore or offshore, a drilling rig can be provided to drill a well to access the desired resource. A drill string can be suspended from the drilling rig and rotated to drill the well. While the drill string can be suspended from a kelly and driven by a rotary table on the drill floor of the drilling rig, in some instances the drill string is instead suspended from and driven by a top drive of the drilling rig. Such a top drive generally includes a drive stem (also referred to as a main shaft) that can be connected to the drill string. A motor in the top drive is connected to the drive stem to drive rotation of the drill string via the drive stem. The top drive can be raised and lowered via a mast and a hoisting system to raise and lower the drill string within the well.

A torque tube may be used for guiding and transferring torque from a top drive into the mast structure. The known torque tube may be suspended underneath the mast top. A lower end of the torque tube may be fixed to a transverse reaction beam that transfers top drive reaction forces into the mast structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Certain aspects of some embodiments disclosed herein are set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms the invention might take and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a top drive system comprising a torque tube, wherein the torque tube is connected to a travelling block and transfers top drive reaction forces into a mast structure. The present disclosure also relates to a method for installing such top drive system.

Turning now to the present disclosure, a drilling system may be operated to drill a well to access a subterranean resource, such as oil or natural gas. In the embodiment depicted, the system includes an onshore drilling rig, although the system could instead be an offshore system in other embodiments. The drilling rig uses a drill string and a drill bit to form the well. It will be appreciated that the drill string can include various members, such as drill pipes, tool joints, drill collars, and a saver sub that prevents wear on a threaded connection of a rotating system (e.g., a top drive) that drives rotation of the drill string.

The drilling rig also includes a mast and a hoisting system that includes a traveling block, a crown block, and drawworks to enable a top drive to be raised and lowered with respect to a drill floor. The drill string is suspended from the top drive through a hole in the drill floor and through surface equipment, e.g., a blowout preventer in the cellar. The drill string can be rotated by the top drive and can be raised and lowered with the top drive (via the traveling block) to facilitate drilling operations.

One example of a top drive system of the disclosure includes an integrated torque tube suspended from a travelling block. The integrated torque tube is used for guiding and transferring torque from the top drive into a guide dolly. The integrated torque tube allows one dolly to guide both a top drive and a travelling block simultaneously and to transfer reaction forces into guide rails/tracks. The integrated torque tube also allows the top drive to slide up/down vertically along the torque tube when doing connections to new drill pipes.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a torsional stiff rectangular tube is bolted to a mating face on the traveling block. In embodiments, the torque tube length mates with the top drive configuration so that the top drive might be aligned with the travelling block as well as enabling the transfer all reaction forces from drilling and make-up and break-out. On the top drive side, the torque tube might comprise a rectangular shape that mates with a torque bracket that acts as a large square key, providing a sliding connection with minor torsional slack. The sliding function allows the top drive system to be hoisted when energizing a weight compensating system. When the weight compensating system is energized, the top drive becomes lifted relative to the traveling block (as might be in a range of 1-8 inches) and will there be in “float mode”. This means the top drive weight impact on drill pipe thread while doing a spin in is limited to minimum. In embodiments, the torque bracket might be bolted directly onto the top drive gearbox housing.

In embodiments of the disclosure, a dolly may be connected to the torque tube at approximately the middle of the torque tube length (in known systems, a dolly can be attached directly onto the top drive, and such systems might also include an additional/separate guide dolly for the travelling block). In embodiments of the disclosure, the dolly may be of a retractable type. This means that, in embodiments, the dolly may include two sets of parallel arms that are pivotable in both ends. On the dolly side, a first set of arms may be connected to hydraulic cylinders that, when energized, rotate the arm around a pivot point and thereby move the other end of the arm in towards the dolly frame. The overall system might be designed so that when pivoting the dolly arms, the entire top drive and travelling block are retracted backwards towards the guide rails, which allows a pipe racking system to handle pipe in/out from well center simultaneously as the top drive is hoisted/lowered from its position for the next tripping sequence. The top drive may be guided by a retractable dolly that runs in a set of guide rails. In one example, the top drive and dolly may be fully extended, leading to the top drive center line being aligned with the well center line.

In embodiments of the disclosure, there is provided a top drive system comprising a top drive, a torque tube, and a traveling block, wherein the torque tube is connected to the travelling block on one side and to the top drive on the other side.

In embodiments, the dolly may be located above the top drive gearbox, thus enabling the guide rails/tracks to have more clearance to drill floor, therefore allowing more space for drill floor tools to move around.

In embodiments, the service loop and/or mud hose may be attached at a top level location on the travelling assembly, enabling the lower end of the service loop and/or mud hose bending radius to be higher away from the drill floor, therefore allowing more space for drill floor tools to move around.

In embodiments, the top drive, travelling block, torque tube, and guide dolly may be transported as one assembled unit.

In embodiments, the top drive, travelling block, torque tube, and guide dolly may be installed and/or removed from mast as one assembled unit.

In embodiments, installation of the top drive system during rig move will be made easier as the torque tube keeps the system together as one unit.

Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation to various aspects of the present embodiments. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of some embodiments without limitation to the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of certain embodiments will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 generally depicts a drilling system having a known top drive;

FIG. 2 is generally depicts a top drive system in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a close view of certain components of a top drive, including a top drive gearbox, a torque bracket and an onboard torque tube, in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a view of a torque tube interacting with a guide dolly in a top drive system in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a view of one embodiment of a top drive of the disclosure guided by a retractable dolly;

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the top drive supported by the drilling rig of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Moreover, any use of “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” other directional terms, and variations of these terms is made for convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of the components.

Referring now to the figures, drilling system 10 of the invention is shown. Drilling system 10 includes an onshore drilling rig 12 having a drill floor 14, wherein the drill floor 14 defines a hole. Mast 16 extends above drill floor 14. Mast 16 is provided for supporting a hoisting system that includes drawworks 18, crown block 20, and traveling block 22. Drawworks 18 is typically located on drill floor 14. Crown block 20 is typically located near a top of mast 16 and traveling block 22 is suspended from crown block 20. Mast 16 additionally supports guiderail 24 (FIG. 5).

An area under drill floor 14 is commonly referred to as a cellar, which is designated by numeral 26. Surface equipment, such as blowout preventer 28, is typically located in cellar 26.

Top drive 30 is attached to traveling block 22. Top drive 30 includes top drive gear box 32 (FIG. 3). Torque bracket 34 is preferably affixed to top drive 30. Torque bracket 34 may be attached adjacent to top drive gear box 32.

Torque tube 36 (FIGS. 2-4), such as a torsionally stiff rectangular tube, has a first end and a second end. The first end of torque tube 36 is affixed to traveling block 22. For example, first end of torque tube 36 may be bolted onto a mating face of traveling block 22. The second end of torque tube 36 may be slidably received in torque bracket 34 that is attached to top drive 30. Torque tube 36 aligns top drive 30 and traveling block 22. In some embodiments, parking attachment points 37 may be provided in torque tube 36 to allow top drive system 46 to be fixed, e.g., for transport. For example, attachment point 37 may be a pin orifice for receiving a pin or other structure for preventing torque bracket 34 from moving relative to torque tube 36.

Guide dolly assembly 38 (FIGS. 2, 4) has dolly frame 40 and dolly arms 42. Dolly arms 42 may be pivotally affixed to torque tube 36 at a first end and may be pivotally affixed to dolly frame 40 at a second end. Guide dolly assembly 38 may additionally be provided with extend/retract cylinders 44 that are attached to dolly frame 40 at a first end and attached to dolly arms 42 at a second end for pivoting dolly arms 42. By pivoting dolly arms 42, top drive 30 and traveling block 22 are retracted backwards towards guide rail 24 (FIG. 5) for allowing a pipe racking system to handle pipe in/out from a well center simultaneously as top drive 30 is hoisted or lowered from this position for a subsequent tripping sequence. As shown in FIG. 5, top drive 30 and guide dolly assembly 38 are fully extended, leading to a center line of the top drive 30 being aligned with a center line of well 48.

Top drive system 46 (FIG. 2) includes traveling block 22, top drive 30, torque tube 36, and guide dolly assembly 38.

Referring back to FIG. 1, drill string 46 is suspended from top drive 30 through the hole in drill floor 14 and through surface equipment, such as blowout preventer 28, into drill well 48. Drill string 46 terminates in drill bit 50.

Drill string 46 is rotatable by top drive 30 and may be raised and lowered with top drive via traveling block 22 to facilitate drilling operations. In operation, embodiments of the disclosures enable forces due to drilling torque and environmental conditions to be transferred from top drive gearbox 32 into torque bracket 34, into torque tube 36, over to guide dolly assembly 38, and finally into mast rails/tracks 24.

Torque tube 36, in embodiments of the disclosure, enables top drive system 46 to act as one common unit. This enables the top drive system 46 to be transported as one unit. Further, during rig move, top drive system 46 of the disclosure can be parked as one unit in mast 16 during mast lay-down and/or mast rising. In embodiments, some parking attachment points 37 might be included in torque tube 36 to allow top drive system 46 to be fixed in an easy and safe manner.

Torque tube 36 is provided for guiding and transferring torque from top drive 30 into guide dolly assembly 38 wherein a single guide dolly assembly 38 guides both top drive 30 and traveling block 22 simultaneously and transfers reaction forces into guide rail 24.

Embodiments of top drive system 46 of the disclosure enable a single guide dolly assembly 38 to be used for guiding of top drive 30 and travelling block 22. In embodiments, a single guide dolly assembly 38 may retract/extend travelling block 22 and top drive 30 simultaneously while maintaining a common center line for both during the movement.

In embodiments, mud hose 52 may be attached at a top level location on travelling block 22, enabling the lower end of a bending radius of mud hose 52 to be higher away from the drill floor 14, therefore allowing more space for tools on drill floor 14.

While the aspects of the present disclosure may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. But it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.

Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes and modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such changes and modifications are encompassed within the spirit of this invention as defined by the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A top drive system comprising: a top drive; a torque tube having a first end and a second end; a traveling block; wherein said torque tube is connected to said travelling block on said first end and to said top drive on said second end.
 2. The top drive system according to claim 1 further comprising: a mud hose located on said travelling block such that a lower end of a bending radius of said mud hose is high away from a drill floor.
 3. The top drive system according to claim 1 wherein: said torque tube is provided with an attachment point for securing said top drive in a fixed position on said torque tube.
 4. The top drive system according to claim 1 further comprising: a guide dolly assembly affixed to said torque tube.
 5. The top drive system according to claim 4, further comprising: a top drive gearbox on said top drive; a guide dolly assembly affixed to said torque tube, wherein said guide dolly assembly is located above said top drive gearbox.
 6. The top drive system according to claim 4, wherein: said top drive, said travelling block, said torque tube, and said guide dolly assembly are adapted to be transported as one assembled unit.
 7. The top drive system according to claim 4, wherein: said top drive, said travelling block, said torque tube and said guide dolly assembly are adapted to be installed and/or removed from a mast as one assembled unit.
 8. The top drive system according to claim 1 further comprising: a mast for supporting said traveling block; a guide dolly assembly affixed to said torque tube; and a guide rail on said mast; wherein said top drive, said travelling block, said torque tube and said guide dolly assembly comprises an assembled unit; wherein said guide dolly assembly engages said guide rail for guiding and transferring torque from said assembled unit to said mast.
 9. A method of simultaneously guiding and transferring torque from a top drive and travelling block into a guide rail on a mast comprising the steps of: connecting the top drive and the travelling block with a torque tube; affixing a guide dolly assembly to said torque tube; engaging the guide rail on the mast with said guide dolly assembly.
 10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising: locating a mud hose on said travelling block such that a lower end of a bending radius of said mud hose is high away from a drill floor.
 11. The method according to claim 9, wherein: said guide dolly assembly is located above a top drive gearbox on said top drive.
 12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: transporting said top drive, said travelling block, said torque tube, and said guide dolly assembly as one assembled unit.
 13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising: securing said top drive in a fixed position on said torque tube.
 14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: suspending said top drive, said travelling block, said torque tube and said guide dolly assembly on the mast as one assembled unit.
 15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: removing said top drive, said travelling block, said torque tube and said guide dolly assembly from the mast as one assembled unit.
 16. A drilling system comprising: a drilling rig having a drill floor defining a hole; a mast above said drill floor, said mast for supporting a hoisting system including a traveling block; a guide rail supported by said mast; a top drive attached to said travelling block; a torque tube having a first end and a second end, said first end of said torque tube affixed to said travelling block, said second end of said torque tube engaging said top drive, wherein said torque tube aligns said top drive and said travelling block; a guide dolly assembly affixed to said torque tube; wherein said torque tube is for guiding and transferring torque from said top drive into said guide dolly assembly, wherein said guide dolly assembly guides both of said top drive and said travelling block simultaneously and transfers forces into said guide rail on said mast; a drill string suspended from said top drive through said hole in said drill floor into a drill well, said drill string terminating in a drill bit, said drill string rotatable by said top drive and raiseable and lowerable with said top drive via said travelling block to facilitate drilling operations.
 17. The drilling system according to claim 16 further comprising: a mud hose located on said travelling block such that a lower end of a bending radius of said mud hose is high away from said drill floor.
 18. The drilling system according to claim 16 further comprising: a torque bracket affixed to said top drive; wherein said torque tube is slidably received in said torque bracket.
 19. The drilling system according to claim 18 wherein: said top drive includes a top drive gear box; and said torque bracket is affixed to said top drive adjacent said top drive gear box.
 20. The drilling system according to claim 16 wherein said guide dolly assembly comprises: a dolly frame and dolly arms, said dolly arms pivotally affixed to said torque tube at a first end and pivotally affixed to said dolly frame at a second end, said guide dolly assembly having extend/retract devices attached to said dolly frame at a first end and attached to said dolly arms at a second end for pivoting said dolly arms for retracting said top drive and said travelling block backwards towards said guide rail for allowing a pipe racking system to handle pipe in/out from a well center simultaneously as said top drive is hoisted or lowered from its position for a subsequent tripping sequence. 